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College game flow: when games go over and when the cover is settled

When do games go over, and when is the cover settled?

Pick a season and week, then choose when the game went over to see those games. FBS games from the past four seasons with quarter scores and a closing line.

Totals 49–57 ✕

When did they go over?

1,411 games · 2023–2026 · Totals 49–57 · pick one to list those games
Went overAll games1,411100%By halftime191%In Q320815%In Q447834%In OT141%Stayed under69249%
Last 5 minutesCover changed hands15011%Over cashed19714%Leader lost the game1148%
51% went over. Of the 719 overs, 3% had cashed by halftime and 32% by the end of the 3rd quarter. Covers were settled only in the 4th quarter or overtime in 18% of games.

All 1,411 games

2023–2026 · Totals 49–57 · newest first · showing 50
GameLineTotalPoints by quarterOverCover settledFinal
2026 · Week 8
 CONN -12.5 53.5 10243151 U CONN Q2 16–35
2026 · Week 8
 MEM -10.5 55.5 1019446875 Q4 ECU Q1 34–41
2026 · Week 8
 JMU -12.5 56.5 724346265 Q4 APP Q1 31–34
2026 · Week 8
 LIB -8.5 50.5 14172740 U LIB Q1 34–6
2026 · Week 8
 DEL -3 54.5 21528099 Q3 DEL Q3 38–61
2026 · Week 7
 ORE -6.5 50.5 072031 U NEB Q1
Lead lost
 14–17
2026 · Week 7
 WAKE -10 54.5 14344148 U WAKE Q1 41–7
2026 · Week 7
 UTAH -15.5 49.5 7133751 Q4 COLO Q1
Late over
 27–24
2026 · Week 7
 UTSA -5.5 52.5 7414472 Q4 NAVY Q1 34–38
2026 · Week 7
 LT -13.5 55.5 001424 U LT Q3 24–0
ELON @ STAN
2026 · Week 7
 STAN -33.5 55.5 0142841 U ELON Q1 7–34
2026 · Week 7
 LOU -14.5 56.5 24515160 Q4 SYR Q1 34–26
2026 · Week 7
 BAY -3.5 50.5 7132323 U TCU Q1 17–6
2026 · Week 7
 ORST -18.5 52.5 17375078 Q4 WSU Q1
Late cover flip
 30–48
2026 · Week 7
 UL -3 49.5 7193239 U UL Q1 6–33
2026 · Week 7
 UGA -19.5 50.5 21313851 Q4 AUB Q1
Late over
 27–24
2026 · Week 7
 ALA -7.5 50.5 9222936 U TENN Q1 10–26
2026 · Week 7
 TTU -16.5 50.5 28536078 Q2 TTU Q2 25–53
2026 · Week 7
 VT -8.5 55.5 14274858 Q4 VT Q1 24–34
2026 · Week 7
 AFA -1.5 49.5 3304472 Q4 AFA Q4 31–41
2026 · Week 7
 TOL -7.5 51.5 10384848 U TOL Q1 34–14
CIT @ TA&M
2026 · Week 7
 TA&M -46.5 56.5 7283441 U CIT Q1 0–41
2026 · Week 7
 MD -5.5 55.5 14365367 Q4 RUTG Q3
Late over
 37–30
2026 · Week 7
 OSU -3 49.5 3172034 U OSU Q3 19–15
2026 · Week 7
 TEX -13.5 51.5 10273451 U FLA Q1 27–24
2026 · Week 7
 LSU -17.5 56.5 14213131 U LSU Q2 0–31
2026 · Week 7
 SMU -10 51.5 3232936 U Push 13–23
2026 · Week 7
 NU -7.5 50.5 10242745 U MSU Q1 24–21
2026 · Week 7
 KSU -3 55.5 24354959 Q4 KSU Q4 24–35
CHSO @ CLEM
2026 · Week 7
 CLEM -42.5 53.5 10343437 U CHSO Q1 0–37
2026 · Week 7
 ARMY -2.5 55.5 28495980 Q3 ARMY Q2 24–56
2026 · Week 7
 PUR -3 50.5 10414464 Q4 WASH Q1 38–26
2026 · Week 7
 MEM -6.5 55.5 3333348 U TULN Q1 17–31
2026 · Week 7
 ECU -5.5 49.5 717233447 U UAB Q3
Late cover flip Lead lost
 17–30
2026 · Week 7
 WKU -1.5 53.5 7131619 U WKU Q1 16–3
2026 · Week 7
 KENN -2.5 52.5 0132845 U MOST Q1 21–24
2026 · Week 7
 DEL -1.5 49.5 8284963 Q4 MTSU Q3
Late cover flip Lead lost
 30–33
2026 · Week 6
 ASU -20.5 51.5 10233042 U HAW Q1 12–30
2026 · Week 6
 JMU -7 51.5 10163051 U GASO Q4
Late cover flip
 27–24
2026 · Week 6
 UTAH -15.5 49.5 14385165 Q3 UTAH Q4 24–41
2026 · Week 6
 ALA -2.5 51.5 3243437 U UGA Q3 20–17
2026 · Week 6
 USC -1.5 54.5 14344454 U USC Q3 31–23
2026 · Week 6
 UVA -14 49.5 14243153 Q4 SYR Q1
Late over
 25–28
2026 · Week 6
 LSU -9.5 50.5 1738415469 Q4 UK Q1
Lead lost
 34–35
2026 · Week 6
 MEM -15.5 55.5 14233751 U MEM Q4 13–38
2026 · Week 6
 ORST -14.5 52.5 14457380 Q3 ORST Q2 14–66
2026 · Week 6
 OSU -31.5 56.5 17415461 Q4 MD Q1
Late over
 16–45
2026 · Week 6
 TENN -13.5 51.5 072441 U ARK Q1 24–17
2026 · Week 6
 TEM -3.5 55.5 28414454 U CONN Q1 34–20
2026 · Week 6
 ND -40.5 55.5 14375165 Q4 ND Q4 7–58
Final score is away–home. Points by quarter are combined points at the end of each quarter; the highlighted one is when the over cashed.Show 1,411

When was the cover settled?

From the end of that quarter on, the side covering never changed
Q1 50% 702
Q2 16% 222
Q3 16% 222
Q4 17% 246
OT 1% 8
Push 1% 11
The team leading at halftime won 83% and covered 68% of 1,338 games
The team leading after 3 quarters won 88% and covered 71% of 1,344 games

Going into the 4th quarter

Points the game still needed after 3 quarters, and how often it got there
Points neededGamesWent over
Already over227100% 227
1–39094% 85
4–712984% 108
8–1013673% 99
11–1415356% 86
15–1711039% 43
18–2115628% 44
22+4107% 27
Quarter scores from ESPN for the past four seasons; closing lines from the ESPN odds feed. Timing is to the quarter: an over that cashed with 10 seconds left in the 3rd counts as Q3. “Settled” means the team covering at the end of that quarter covered the closing spread at the end, with no change in between. Last 5 minutes (4th quarter, plus overtime) compares the score with 5:00 left, from ESPN scoring plays, with the final. History, not a prediction: none of this has shown an edge against the market.